Tom Casten
Encyclopedia
Thomas R. Casten, known as Tom Casten, is an American businessman, author, and activist known for his work on industrial energy recycling
. Since 1977, Casten has founded and managed numerous companies and organizations associated with combined heat and power
(also called cogeneration
), decentralized energy, and waste energy recovery
.
Casten is also a former U.S. Marine and Eagle Scout.
corporation) and its predecessors from 1977 through 2000. He served until 2006 as founding chair and CEO of Primary Energy and its subsidiary Primary Energy Recycling Corp., which is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
. He is now the founder and chairman of Recycled Energy Development
, based in Westmont, Illinois. These companies have focused on energy recycling
, a process that turns waste energy (usually heat) into clean power and steam. Casten has said his goal is to combat global warming in a profitable way, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs at the same time.
, which are trade associations that promote combined heat and power
, district heating
, and other forms of distributed generation
. Casten also serves on numerous boards for energy-related institutions, has testified before the energy committees of the U.S. Congress, and served on the informal policy advisory team of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama
in 2008.
Casten is the author of Turning Off the Heat: Why America Must Double Energy Efficiency to Save Money and Reduce Global Warming. He has also published articles in outlets including American Scientist, the Detroit Free Press, Electricity Journal, and the Albuquerque Journal, as well as a chapter in Energy & American Society: Thirteen Myths. His work on energy recycling
received profiles in Forbes, Smithsonian, Nature, U.S. News, the Atlantic, Orion, and National Public Radio.
Energy recycling
Energy recycling is the energy recovery process of utilizing energy that would normally be wasted, usually by converting it into electricity or thermal energy. Undertaken at manufacturing facilities, power plants, and large institutions such as hospitals and universities, it significantly...
. Since 1977, Casten has founded and managed numerous companies and organizations associated with combined heat and power
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
(also called cogeneration
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
), decentralized energy, and waste energy recovery
Energy recovery
Energy recovery includes any technique or method of minimizing the input of energy to an overall system by the exchange of energy from one sub-system of the overall system with another...
.
Casten is also a former U.S. Marine and Eagle Scout.
Business
Casten was the founding president and CEO of Trigen Energy Corporation (a New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
corporation) and its predecessors from 1977 through 2000. He served until 2006 as founding chair and CEO of Primary Energy and its subsidiary Primary Energy Recycling Corp., which is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world by market capitalisation. Based in Canada's largest city, Toronto, it is owned by and operated as a subsidiary of the TMX Group for the trading of senior equities...
. He is now the founder and chairman of Recycled Energy Development
Recycled Energy Development
Recycled Energy Development, LLC aims to profitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and recycling waste energy, especially through cogeneration and waste heat recovery.-Overview:RED develops, owns, and manages energy recycling facilities...
, based in Westmont, Illinois. These companies have focused on energy recycling
Energy recycling
Energy recycling is the energy recovery process of utilizing energy that would normally be wasted, usually by converting it into electricity or thermal energy. Undertaken at manufacturing facilities, power plants, and large institutions such as hospitals and universities, it significantly...
, a process that turns waste energy (usually heat) into clean power and steam. Casten has said his goal is to combat global warming in a profitable way, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs at the same time.
Advocacy
Casten has served as president of the International District Energy Association and co-founder and chairman of the World Alliance for Decentralized EnergyWorld Alliance for Decentralized Energy
The World Alliance for Decentralized Energy was founded in 1997 with the original name of the International Cogeneration Alliance. It was originally formed in response to the UNFCCC meetings in Kyoto to raise the profile of cogeneration on the agenda...
, which are trade associations that promote combined heat and power
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
, district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
, and other forms of distributed generation
Distributed generation
Distributed generation, also called on-site generation, dispersed generation, embedded generation, decentralized generation, decentralized energy or distributed energy, generates electricity from many small energy sources....
. Casten also serves on numerous boards for energy-related institutions, has testified before the energy committees of the U.S. Congress, and served on the informal policy advisory team of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2008.
Casten is the author of Turning Off the Heat: Why America Must Double Energy Efficiency to Save Money and Reduce Global Warming. He has also published articles in outlets including American Scientist, the Detroit Free Press, Electricity Journal, and the Albuquerque Journal, as well as a chapter in Energy & American Society: Thirteen Myths. His work on energy recycling
Energy recycling
Energy recycling is the energy recovery process of utilizing energy that would normally be wasted, usually by converting it into electricity or thermal energy. Undertaken at manufacturing facilities, power plants, and large institutions such as hospitals and universities, it significantly...
received profiles in Forbes, Smithsonian, Nature, U.S. News, the Atlantic, Orion, and National Public Radio.